Whaley Studios

We booked the wedding band workshop with Jay and had such an awesome time! Not only was it a really unique experience, but our bands turned out AWESOME!
Jay is very professional and a wonderful teacher. He is there to help you every step of the way with whatever ideas your mind can dream up. You even get to take the rings home with you at the end of the day. (unless you have a stone set)
If you want to have a stone set in your ring, he sends it to a professional stone-​setter to finish the job. We live in a different city and they were even able to mail it to us so we didn’t have to drive back down to pick it up.
I will note that once we received our rings in the mail, I noticed a crack happening in the soldering. I contacted Jay right away and he of course offered to fix it. I sent the ring back to him in the mail and within a couple weeks it was back to me, safe and sound and more beautiful than ever.
Thank you for being such a wonderful person to work with and I hope we get the chance to work together again

We came into Whaley Studios not knowing what to expect for our wedding ring workshop. In the end it was well worth it and I would strongly recommend Jay Whaley’s studio for any engaged couple (btw about 25% of his clientele are same gender couples.)
I would definitely recommend this workshop. It was memorable and we learned quite a bit. Unlike other workshops and custom ring processes you really do start from raw materials. We had an awesome time playing with fire and learning from a goldsmith! Parking in Hillcrest is $ 6 for 9 hours and there are ample food options in the area. We set up the appointment over email and paid by check. The goldsmith, Jay Whaley, has been making and teaching jewelry for decades and he has the most experience and best prices for this kind of workshop in Southern California.
The day-​of process started with a consultation where we reviewed various wedding band styles and designs. Armed with finalized specs, we then headed into the workshop where we immediately started forging an ingot. (We didn’t realize this, but that meant heating metal over 1900°F for gold and over 3000°F for platinum. There is no AC since you need ventilation for this kind of work, so don’t do what we did and avoid booking a workshop during a heat wave! You will be using a hot torch a lot!)
From there, we used different machines and techniques to mill, shape, solder, and polish the rings. We were encouraged to be creative and ended up doing some free-​form pressing with the mill as an experiment. Our instructor Jay did the detail work, corrected our errors, and calmly coached us through the manual labor tasks. At the very end, while, we celebrated with champagne, Jay custom engraved our rings. He was super accommodating, friendly, and patient.
Ten hours later and we left with awesome professional-​quality, completely unique, handmade custom rings!
If you’re still on the fence, consider this: The real way to tell whether or not you are getting a good deal on a ring is comparing the price weight of a ring to the price of the raw precious metal. (Thank you to GemSecure Jewelry Appraisers – see review– for a crash course on this) For example, a $ 300 14k ring at Costco that weighs 8.2 grams is worth $ 180 bucks (in today’s price) in raw materials. If you buy the ring you are paying $ 120 over that for the manufacture of the ring and Costco’s profits.
A plain Platinum men’s wedding band that weighs 16 grams costs $ 2500 at Tiffany &Co, $ 1700 at Zales, $ 1100 at Costco or $ 890 at Blue Nile is really only worth $ 520 in raw materials (based on today’s stock prices for platinum.) The remaining $ 370– $ 2000 you’re paying for sales commissions, branding (eg a stamp and box that says Tiffany), manufacturing on an assembly line by machine and underpaid workers, etc.
To me, the workshop is way more worth it even if the price is comparable to buying from a upper/​mid-​range store. You get to custom design your wedding band, learn a challenging technique from an expert jeweler, make the ring by hand, get it custom engraved, avoid paying sales commissions and additional taxes, and leave with a lot of memories.
If you’re on the fence and you can afford it, do it! We had a blast.

Jay was amazing!!! My fiancé found this place and when he proposed, popped the question with jewelry from both sides of our family (my great grandmother’s and mother’s wedding bands, a gold necklace from my grandmother, silver bracelets from his grandmother and his great grandmother’s wedding band). Over the next few weeks, before our appointment, we planned our designs for my engagement ring and his wedding band. Day of, we arrived at 9am and over the next 10 hrs hand crafted our rings. Neither my fiancé nor I had any experience before this but Jay is a great teacher! With each step the jewelry from both families became one and formed into our rings. Lunch and a glass of champagne for the finished product were provided making it a complete and once in a lifetime experience. Being made by hand I wasn’t sure how finished the final product would be but it more than rivals anything you could buy at the top stores and better yet is one of a kind! I couldn’t recommend this experience and Jay more!

We did the diy wedding band program and it was a wonderful, meaningful day for both my fiancé and I. It’s inexpensive, fun, slightly stressful (if you’re afraid of fire like me) and very satisfying. I would recommend it to anyone. Also Jay (the instructor) is about as nice a person you will ever meet, and it really was a pleasure working with him. He makes sure the rings turn out perfect.

I love working out of Whaley Studios because of the beautiful community it offers. It’s truly a unique experience for anyone that is interested to give it a try. The environment is nurturing, stimulating, and relaxed, but you are able to focus and get things done, too.
I come from an academic background, and while it definitely has it’s advantages — this school of thought seems more conducive to the jewelry-​making atmosphere that many students seek when they get into it in the first place. Jay is an exceptional mentor; he let’s his students set their own pace, but offers ideas to help speed up the process so everyone can get the most out of their time there.
Classes can be taken for prolonged duration, meeting for 2 ½ hours a week, or weekly 4 hour blocks, with advantages of open studio time with teaching assistants at least 3 days a week. Couples also enjoy an intimate one-​day wedding ring-​making workshop where they leave the studio with completed rings that they’ve made that day.
Jay is continually evolving by learning and creating new tricks of the trade that he’s more then happy to share with others. In addition to this special community we share here in San Diego, Jay introduces new tools for a global industry that are quite successful. He also runs a weekly talkshow interviewing metalsmith artists for their insight, which is all documented in archives — he’s making history!
It’s a really unique and special thing to be a part of.

Love the group class so much that I have taken it 4 times in a row. I’m a designer and artist, but had never tried jewelry making before finding this class and I am enjoying it so much. I love having the freedom to make anything I want. I think it’s the best way to learn. Jay and his teaching assistant (different ones for different nights) are always friendly and available to help you.
The studio space is completely stocked with every tool you need and the vibe is comfortable and relaxed — which is perfect for being creative.
Completely worth the drive from Escondido. If you’re looking for a class, you found it!

We got married two months ago, and were looking for a way to get the unique style of rings we wanted. Lo and behold, one day walking down the streets of Hillcrest, our eyes were drawn to a sign advertising Make-​Your-​Own Wedding Ring workshops. We gave them a call and made an appointment for a free consultation and tour. We found that the prices are super reasonable and decided to submit a possible design to them to see if we could make it. We were assured that it looked doable, and decided to book the workshop.
What an excellent decision! It was a full day of work, and Jay was there every step of the way directing us, lending his expertise, and making sure we didn’t mess up our wedding rings. ;-) My fiancée and I had a blast together. What a wonderful memory and great time before the flurry of the wedding! We’ve recommended it to other couples we know and even hope we can do it again together someday in honor of an anniversary or other special occasion.

I have been taking «classes» with Jay for over 2 years now and can highly recommend them to anyone who wants to learn to make jewelry. I put «classes» in quotes because the curriculum is project-​based and the project you work on is totally up to you. You learn whatever techniques interest you and are necessary to complete your desired project. Jay will give advice, direction and options, then let you decide where you want to go. The private classes (4 students total for 4 hours) allow you a fair amount of one-​on-​one time with Jay. Jay is a very patient and insightful teacher. I tend to make crazy complicated pieces and he is always willing to help me find a way to make them work. I mostly use a modified weaving technique in my one-​of-​a-​kind art jewelry pieces and wanted to learn how to make unique findings to complement them. I have no experience in the group classes, but his teaching assistants that I have met are also very helpful. The studio is very well equipped and comfortable, but does get a bit hot in the summer with all the torches and kiln running. Whether you want to make jewelry professionally to sell or just to fulfill your creative urges, you can learn a lot from Jay and have fun while doing it.
I recommend you park in the pay lot on 6^th & Robinson, as street parking is tight and limited to 2 hours.
Check out his Bench Talk radio pod casts on Thursdays where he interviews a wide range of interesting jewelry professionals.

By far the best place around to take classes in metal smithing/​jewelry making! The studio is clean and bright and extremely well-​equipped, the neighborhood is fun, and owner/​instructor Jay Whaley is a skilled artisan and instructor (formerly from the jewelry program at UCSD) who can help you make most anything your heart desires. Plus, he’s a hoot!
Loads of class times available… but sign up early if you can… they fill up!

My husband and I made our wedding rings, with the help of Jay and enjoyed our experience at Whaley Studios thoroughly. It was very fun to see the gold in pieces and ending up as a ring at the end of the day. The experience of making the rings together is priceless!

My fiancé and I came here to make our wedding rings back in July. Jay and Sunshine were amazing people who really let us make the day our own experience.
There really are not words to describe what a cool experience it was making our own wedding bands.
We still have to get in to have them engraved because we forgot to think about what we were going to engrave! But I am excited to go back to see Jay, anyway.
Definitely recommend this place for the experience and the fact that there is really nothing more unique than making your wedding bands from scratch.

Went in to make a wedding band for my fiancé and Jay and Sunshine were great! Fun experience, loved being able to take part in the whole experience of taking raw materials into a beautiful ring, that looked better than the one from the high end jeweler I was previously considering! Service was fantastic, and Jay was incredibly accommodating of my crazy work schedule. Was bit by the bug and looking into taking a class in the near future…

Fantastic wedding ring making experience.
The price was on par with what we would have paid for a mass-​produced ring, but my fiancé got exactly what he wanted. Jay is the best teacher and he allowed us to make the ring ourselves. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. Jay made sure the ring was perfect and listened to our needs. Totally relaxing day before our wedding!

Jay is the man. Seriously. A master goldsmith with the heart of a teacher. His classes are the highlight of my week. The fellow artists are really cool to hang with also. So fun to be around people who love art.
Jay’s classes are appropriate for the beginner to the master metalsmith. What are you waiting for?

This experience has been more special than going to a jewelry store to pick out our wedding rings. Jay was a great teacher and has helped us to create the perfect wedding rings. I cannot recommend this enough for anyone looking to create a piece of memory together. Our rings mean so much more than picking them out from the store.

My fiancé and I just got back from making our rings and I must say, they are just perfect! Neither one of us are very handy with tools and Jay helped us use every tool and made sure we didn’t mess up. He taught us all about making rings and made sure ours were EXACTLY how we wanted them to be. They look like they came right off the shelf of a jewelry shop! Making our rings (along with Jay, of course, ha) makes the whole wedding event and marriage even that much more special. I HIGHLY recommend Whaley Studios for your wedding rings!

My fiancé and I recently did the wedding ring workshop and it was fantastic! The jeweler has been doing this his whole life and is just the kind of guy you’d want to spend a whole day with on this kind of thing. Very patient and thorough, so a few amateurs can walk in knowing nothing and walk out with your wedding bands and/​or engagement rings that look amazing.
Prices were in the range of what we’d pay anyway and you can get a more expensive platinum or a less expensive gold/​white gold. Easily worth the money… thanks JAY!

My partner and I just made our rings at Whaley’s Wedding Ring Workshop. Jay helped us to pick the perfect designs and make our own rings. We started from scratch by melting the metals together and Jay helped us to turn those glowing blogs of molten metal into gorgeous wedding bands. We have beautiful rings that we made for each other with our own hands. The experience was fun and deeply meaningful.

My fiancé (now husband) and I went to Whaley Studios to make our wedding rings as part of Jay’s Wedding Ring Workshop. Jay couldn’t have been nicer and more patient with us, and we really love the way the rings came out. Completely recommended.